Whether, in the light of the #60 billion earmarked for railways in the recent announcement about transport funding, it will request funding…

Scottish Borders Council has submitted an application to the third round of the Public Transport Fund for the cost of securing the necessary permissions for reinstating the railway between Edinburgh and the Central Borders. I will consider that carefully alongside other applications to the fund. Thereafter the promoters of the railway would be able to seek additional public and private funding from various sources for the capital costs of the project itself. The Scottish Borders Railway Feasibility Study, funded by the Executive and other key stakeholders in the project, provides a wealth of information to underpin any such application.We will shortly be consulting on strategic priorities for Scotland's railways as part of the process of developing directions and guidance to the Strategic Rail Authority on the franchise for passenger rail services that start and end in Scotland. During this process we will give consideration to a wide range of issues, including proposals for additions to the passenger rail network such as the reinstatement of the Borders railway.